2013 Bacon World Champion
Ricardo Heredia

For Ricardo Heredia, 2013 Bacon World Champion, the science of food has captivated him since he was nine-years-old when he found himself experimenting in his home kitchen, attempting to learn the basic fundamentals. In the beginning, Heredia focused on understanding the egg. Today, as the Executive Chef of the Alchemy Restaurant in San Diego, Heredia thrives in many food genres, garnering local and national recognition for his honed styles and techniques.

Heredia earned his way to the World Food Championships after winning the professional division of the Big Bite Bacon Fest at the San Diego County Fair, marking Heredia’s second food competition ever.

The first-ever Bacon World Championship was sponsored by Wright® Brand Bacon. Heredia noted the quality of the product, based on the brand's timeless 90-year-old curing and smoking method that results in a “firm, well-balanced flavor and superior cooking ability, releasing no added water, giving the bacon a great texture.” 

“My inspiration this year was all about the bacon – taking something that is typically used in a couple of ways and transforming it to create dishes that have never been seen before,” said Heredia. “I worked hard to capture bacon in its many forms, flavor profiles and textures, presenting each dish displayed in a unique fashion that was appealing to the eye.”

From his signature Bacon Taro Tacos to the structured round's Bacon Carbonara Lasagna and his infused Bacon-Duck Miso Ramen, Heredia’s World Food Championships’ game was a combination of practiced skill and execution, quality Wright Brand Bacon and having access to quality products and equipment.

Of course, a chef’s greatest culinary ambitions will remain on the back burner, so to speak, without the accompaniment of first class equipment.

“Kenmore® brand equipment provided essential tools during the World Food Championships. The ranges saw some serious use and cooking with over 300 competitors using them, and they performed just as great on day one as they did during the Championship Final Table round.” 

Heredia, who worked alongside his girlfriend and teammate, Cassy Anderson, noted that his favorite part of the competition was the “overall concentration that was required to overcome obstacles.”

“The event itself was captivating and multifaceted. So many things going on, from the smells coming out of the Kenmore Kitchen Coliseum, to the awesome competitors and the WFC staff, I can’t think of any other competition I would have been so proud to participate in.”

Comparing the addicting experience of competing to that of getting a tattoo, it’s fair to assume the 2013 Bacon World Champion will be back for another round.